Kyle Hurst, Son of Former Major Leaguer Bruce Hurst, Signs With Saints

ST. PAUL, MNAugust 6, 2012

Kyle Hurst, Son of Former Major Leaguer Bruce Hurst, Signs With Saints

August 06, 2012 at 6:04 PM

ST. PAUL, MN (August 6, 2012) – Saturday night the St. Paul Saints needed to use a catcher out of relief. On Sunday they used two starters in both ends of a double header. Needing to find a starting pitcher for a tired staff the Saints signed right-hander Kyle Hurst, son of former big leaguer Bruce Hurst, who will start Monday night’s game.

The 26-year-old Hurst was pitching for the Inland Empire 66ers (High-A, Angels) this season and did not record a decision with a 6.00 ERA in 10 relief appearances. In 18.0 innings he walked 11 and struck out 16. Hurst did not allow a run in his final two appearances (5.0 IP) with the 66ers.

Hurst was a 36th round draft choice by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2008 June Amateur Draft out of South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. After finishing 3-2 with a 3.92 ERA in 16 games (four starts) between Orem in the Pioneer League and the Arizona League’s Arizona Angels, as a rookie in 2008, he spent most of the 2009 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the Midwest League. That season would also feature his only appearance at Triple-A with the Salt Lake Bees. In 2010, Hurst went 9-5 with a 4.71 ERA in 33 games (seven starts) split between Cedar Rapids and the Angels High-A affiliate in the California League. His first extended season as a starter came in 2011 when he went 8-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 17 starts, including wins in his only two starts at Double-A with the Arkansas Travelers.

Last season, he was named the California League’s Pitcher of the Week on May 23. Kyle’s father, Bruce, enjoyed a fine 15-year Major League career spent mostly with the Boston Red Sox. A 1987 American League All-Star who also finished fifth for the Cy Young Award the following season, the elder Hurst was 145-113 with a 3.92 ERA in his career. He was originally slated to be the MVP of the 1986 World Series after pitching Boston to wins in games one and five, but following the Red Sox collapse, the award was given to Ray Knight. This is the second time in three season’s the Saints have signed the son of a former Major Leaguer. In 2010 Frank Viola Jr. pitched for the Saints, son of former Minnesota Twins pitcher Frank Viola.

In order to make room for Hurst the Saints released pitcher Todd Mathison who was 1-2 with a 6.71 ERA.

The Saints roster now stands at the league maximum of 22, 12 position players and 10 pitchers, with one on the disabled list and two on the inactive list.